Draft-rigging for cars.



Patented Apr. 24, I900.

F. K. SEYFBIED. DRAFT masma' FOR ems,-

(Applicaticm filed Dec. 29, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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ATTEET s Pzfzns ca. momu'mm WASHINGTON. u. a

Patgnted Apr. 24, I900.

I F. K. SEYFRIED. DRAFT RIGGING FOR CARS.

(Applicatiomfllad Dec. 29, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

T R T Yaw Q T m 1- cams wrrzns ca. moroumo. wAsnmc'rou u u I UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK K. snyrnmn, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

,DRAFT-RIG'GING FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,220, dated April 24, 1900.

. Application fiieatecemttrze, 1 99. SerialNo. 741,89 (No model.)

T ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK K. SEY- FRIED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Riggings for Cars; and I do'declare that-the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the in- 'vention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use, .the same.

My invention relates to draft-riggings for cars; and the'invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claimsr p In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of. the car and the rigging which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the said parts as shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3'is a bottom plan thereof. Fig. 4; is a bottom plan of one of the members of the draft-rigging frame. Fig. 5 is alongi- *tudinal sectional elevation of a portion of. a

car-frame, showing both ends andwith my novel construction of rigging parts exhibited in working position, but reduced in size as compared with the other views Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of draw-bar and rigging corresponding to line 6 6, Fig, 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective elevation of the two members of the draft-rigging frame separated, so asto show the details of their construction. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the back braces or supports. Fig. 8 is a crosssection on line 8 8, Fig. 3; and Figs. 9 and 10 are cross-sections of Fig. 3 on lines 9 9 and 10 10, respectively.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the draw-bar, which is supported by and between the two members of what may be termed. the draw-bar 3 or draft-rigging frame comprising the parts or sections B and B. These parts are alike in all the details of their construction, and the'draw-bar. is supported between their inner sides, as hereinafter fully described.

0 represents the stringers on which the draw-bar frame or rigging is directly supported,and the filling-timber D comes between the stringers, as shown.

As cars have been built hitherto the draft constructions-are too light to be coupled up with the heavier cars of today or to be placed s on modern cars,'which are constructed for much larger loads than formerly and are themselves much heavier than before. The present invention is therefore designed to meet the demands fora stronger construction and, safety in'these vital connecting parts of the cars. I have therefore "planned to adapt my improvements to cars whichflaie already built and in servicewithout altering or removing the stringers or any ot-herpart of the carv body or, frame, as well as designing it for entirely 'new cars. The; olddraft-bar riggings, such as they are, can be removed and mine substituted in their place, and this change not only affords greater strength and efficiency in the-draft-rigging proper, but is designed especially also to strengthenthe center, stringers, which form the'main sup port for the rigging. '1 The narrowest width of v I these stringers is usually'about' thirteen and one-half inches, andl have devised 'an at.- tachment-in my improved mechanism adapted to be secured to these stringers and at the same time to reinforce them, especially in their weak points, as will appear in this de+ scription farther along.

Now referring again to the drawings it will be seen that the rigging members 13 Bare are sufficiently heavy to divide the shock.

whichcomes upon the rigging in the backing of the car, wherein the part F serves as a strong brace against the bolster. This materially relieves the strain upon the bolts which tie up the rigging to the stringers and contributes also to the strengthening of the parts under jarring or backward movements.

Another vital and valuable feature of my invention is in the spring mechanismfor the draw-bar, wherein I am enabled to employ double springs or a pair of springs side by found not to be heavy enough for the larger size of cars now being constructed or for the old carswith the loads they should have, and hence it has been a common experience with the single spring that both the draw-bars and the stringers have been broken through lack of proper spring resistance. This is more frequently true, possibly, when a train of cars is hacked and the head of the draw-bar, which is only about an inch and three-quarters from the endsill, strikes the said sill and the blow of the entire train is communicated directly to this point, and the object of the spring'is defeated. Of course I am aware that double springs are not original with me; but in all cases in which they have been used, so far as I am aware, the entire center-stringer construction of the cars would have to be removed andl'altered to adapt them'to the doublespring mechanism, and this means practically the rebuilding of the bottom of the car and involves much expense and laborgbut by my improvementl avoid this rebuilding altogether and can place my draw-barriggin g, with its double springs, on any car on the road and get the effect, practically, of having rei constructed the bottom of the car with stringers of a larger size.

To these ends it will be observed that I form the rigging members B and B, as shown, with pockets 2 oppositely,

about midway their length, on their-inner sides, in which I place a pair of strong spiral springs G, side-by side, o'nefor each member, and which are interposed between a follower 3 at their rear and a cross plate or bar i at their front, the ends of said parts 3 and 4 of course extending into the opposite pockets and having the spring resting betweenand against them. The draw-bar is connected up with these parts by means of the strap H, which is engaged around the follower 3 and firmly bolted at its ends at the top and bottom, respectively, ofv the draw-bar. An important feature of the construction of the follower is the rounding of its rear edges, top, and bottom, so as to enable the strap H to be bent on a curve instead of an angle, and thereby preserving its strength at the bending and preventing breaking, which otherwise is liable to occur when the strap is angular at these corners.

The back brace or support F is shown in outline in connection with Fig. 7 and might be in one piece for both rigging parts B and B; but in this instance a separate brace is used for each part and they are together supported in place by the straps a, which tie them firmly to the stringers. Each brace F also has a projecting portion f, which abuts againsta shoulder Z2 on the rigging, and on its top is a recess f, in which rests the extension b of the rigging member. This affords a very durable and serviceable resistance to the heavy jamming to which cars are subjected and which demand the strongest possible construction in their otherwise vulnerable parts. The extension I) is heavy and designed more especially to give strength to the stringer, so as to prevent possible breaking of the stringer between the bolster and the end sill, which is its weak point. Then again by running this part I) back an opening is afforded for the play of a pocket-strap, tailstrap, orstem of different forms of draw-bars from the one here shown, and which are preferred by some. i

Each member 13 and B is provided at its front with a side lug 11 which rests against the end sill and is locked thereon by a bolt. This helps to sustain the pull, thus giving strength, as well as otherwise contributing to the supporting and. strengthening of the parts, and being located at one side allows removal of. rigging without disturbing the stringers.

Two separatelines of rods connect the ends of the car--tl1e tie-rods K and the truss-rods L. The tie-rods are perfectly straight, as here shown, and are secured at their ends in the heavy side lugs 71 of the riggingflvhilc the truss-rods are seen red tothe otherheavy lugs b farther forward. A truss rest or bridge 70 supports the trussrods over the stringers; but both rods havetlieir entire pull from their ends on the rigging and are of such strength together and so firmly connected with the rigging at both ends that they would be sufficient. to sustain all the pull on the car if the stringers were entirely broken away. The slack can also be taken up at their ends, and they serve to firmly knit the ends of the car together. The rods thus connected up distribute the pull from end to end of the car, thus relieving both ends in their stringer connections, and the truss-rods serve additionally as strengthening means directly for the stringers. For this reason also the truss-rest k is placed directly over the body-bolster, as shown in Fig. 2. The straight direct line of truss-rods L above, between their rests above the body-bolsters, gives sufficient spring to the rods to prevent straining at the riggingframe when the car is loaded.

By countersinking the bolt-holes c in th top of the rigging members I prevent shearing off of the bolts, and the countersinks serve as guides when the bolts are driven in and prevent mutilation of the thread.

The straps N at the bottom of the riggingframe keep the springs up in position, but enable easy removal without disturbing any other parts, and serve also to strengthen the parts. The ends of the straps are turned up to fit into grooves in the frame B B to prevent a possible shearing of the bolts when the rigging-frame is under a strain.

The draw-bar-supporting strap b" at the front of the draft-rigging frame is set in the pockets 2) to prevent the shearing off of the bolts if the draw-head should come back and strike the strap.

What I claim is 1. The car-frame and the draft-rigging secured at each end thereto, and a set of rods connecting said draft-riggings, said rods comprising the direct-pulling rods running in a straight line between said draft-riggings, and

the truss-rods running at an inclination from each draft-riggin g to rests upon the car-frame stringers above the body-bolster, and thence in a straight line between said rests, substantially as described.

2. The car-frame, the draft-rigging secured to each end thereof and consisting at each end of two parts having each a set of lugs on its outer side, in combination with a direct straight connecting tie-rods for said frames,-

and trussrods connecting said frames having rests upon the stringers above the bodybolster of said car, said truss-rods and tierods having a straight line of pull and running in a parallel plane with the floor of the car at each side of the center stringers between said rests, substantially as described.

4. In draft mechanism for a car, a draftbarframe consisting of two equal parts adapted to be arranged side by side and to have a draw-bar between them, said members each having a pocket 2 in its inner side, inwardlyprojecting flanges b, shoulders I), and extension 5 in combination with back braces F constructed to engage said flanges, shoulders and extensions, substantially as described.

5. The car-body and the draw-bar frames consisting of two separate members located at opposite ends of the car, each member of said frames provided with a pocket 2 on its inner side, an inwardly-projecting flange 1) back of said pocket, an extension Z2 back of said flanges, and separate brace pieces F back of said flanges and extensions, a set of lugs 12 and b at each side of said members, in combination with straight tie-rods and truss-rods connecting the lugs 011 said opposite members, said truss-rods having rests on the stringers above the body-bolster of the car, and having a straight line of pull and running in a parallel line with the floor of the car between said rests, substantially as described.

W'itness my hand to the foregoing specifi cationthis 20th dayof December, 1899. FREDERICK K. SEYFRIED.

Witnesses:

' H, E. MUDRA,

R. B. lVIOSER. 

